State of Vermont

House of Representatives

Montpelier, Vermont

Joint Concurrent House Resolution

H.C.R.
184

House concurrent resolution in memory of U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael
A. Benson

Offered by: Representatives Brennan of Colchester, Condon of Colchester,
Niquette of Colchester, Severance of Colchester, Acinapura of Brandon, Adams of
Hartland, Allaire of Rutland City, Allard of St. Albans Town, Ancel of Calais,
Aswad of Burlington, Atkins of Winooski, Audette of S. Burlington, Baker of
West Rutland, Barnard of Richmond, Bartlett of Dover, Bohi of Hartford, Bostic
of St. Johnsbury, Botzow of Pownal, Branagan of Georgia, Brooks of Montpelier,
Canfield of Fair Haven, Chen of Mendon, Clark of St. Johnsbury, Clark of
Vergennes, Clarkson of Woodstock, Copeland-Hanzas of Bradford, Corcoran of
Bennington, Cross of Winooski, Darrow of Dummerston, Dates of Shelburne, Deen
of Westminster, DePoy of Rutland City, Donaghy of Poultney, Donahue of
Northfield, Donovan of Burlington, Dostis of Waterbury, Dowland of Holland,
Dunsmore of Georgia, Edwards of Brattleboro, Emmons of Springfield, Endres of
Milton, Errecart of Shelburne, Evans of Essex, Fallar of Tinmouth, Fisher of
Lincoln, Flory of Pittsford, Frank of Underhill, French of Randolph, Gervais of
Enosburg, Grad of Moretown, Green of Berlin, Haas of Rochester, Head of S.
Burlington, Heath of Westford, Helm of Castleton, Hosford of Waitsfield,
Houston of Ferrisburgh, Howard of Rutland City, Howrigan of Fairfield, Hube of
Londonderry, Hudson of Lyndon, Hunt of Essex, Hutchinson of Randolph, Jerman of
Essex, Jewett of Ripton, Johnson of South Hero, Johnson of Canaan, Kainen of
Hartford, Keenan of St. Albans City, Kennedy of Chelsea, Keogh of Burlington,
Kilmartin of Newport City, Kiss of Burlington, Kitzmiller of Montpelier, Klein
of East Montpelier, Koch of Barre Town, Komline of Dorset, Krawczyk of
Bennington, Kupersmith of S. Burlington, Larocque of Barnet, Larrabee of
Danville, Larson of Burlington, LaVoie of Swanton, Lawrence of Lyndon, Leriche
of Hardwick, Lippert of Hinesburg, Livingston of Manchester, Lorber of
Burlington, Louras of Rutland City, Maier of Middlebury, Malcolm of Pawlet,
Marcotte of Coventry, Marek of Newfane, Marron of Stowe, Martin of Springfield,
Martin of Wolcott, Masland of Thetford, McAllister of Highgate, McCullough of
Williston, McFaun of Barre Town, McLaughlin of Royalton, Metzger of Milton,
Milkey of Brattleboro, Miller of Shaftsbury, Miller of Elmore, Minter of
Waterbury, Molloy of Arlington, Monti of Barre City, Mook of Bennington, Morley
of Barton, Morrissey of Bennington, Myers of Essex, Nease of Johnson, Nitka of
Ludlow, Obuchowski of Rockingham, O’Donnell of Vernon, Orr of Charlotte,
Otterman of Topsham, Parent of St. Albans City, Partridge of Windham, Peaslee
of Guildhall, Pellett of Chester, Perry of Richford, Peterson of Williston,
Pillsbury of Brattleboro, Potter of Clarendon, Pugh of S. Burlington, Randall
of Troy, Reese of Pomfret, Rodgers of Glover, Rusten of Halifax, Seibert of
Norwich, Shand of Weathersfield, Sharpe of Bristol, Shaw of Derby, Smith of New
Haven, Smith of Morristown, Sunderland of Rutland Town, Sweaney of Windsor,
Symington of Jericho, Tracy of Burlington, Trombley of Grand Isle, Valliere of
Barre City, Westman of Cambridge, Winters of Swanton, Winters of Williamstown,
Wright of Burlington, Young of Orwell and Zuckerman of Burlington

Whereas, U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael Benson, a Minnesota
native, had strong ties to Vermont through his wife, Elizabeth Brown, who is
from Colchester, and

Whereas, he was a career soldier assigned to the 1st Battalion,
314th Regiment located at Fort Drum, New York and was serving in Iraq as a
member of the 2nd Brigade 78th Division, a support unit that trains reserve
component soldiers, and

Whereas, Sgt. Benson’s distinguished military career began when he
enlisted in 1965 after graduating from Winona Senior High School in Winona,
Minnesota, and

Whereas, during his two decades in the U.S. Army, he was awarded
at least 23 medals, awards, or decorations in recognition of his outstanding
military service, and

Whereas, Sgt. Benson was a veteran of the first Gulf War in 1991,
and

Whereas, he was known for his wonderful sense of humor and
positive attitude, and

Whereas, on August 2, 2005, Sgt. Benson was riding in a gunner’s
turret in Baghdad when a suicide bomber attacked his parade of vehicles,
resulting in his sustaining severe head wounds, and

Whereas, Sgt. Benson was initially transferred from Iraq to a
hospital in Germany where he was awarded a Purple Heart, and

Whereas, while he did not immediately perish from his injuries, he
died in a military hospital in Maryland on August 10, 2005 with his family by
his side, and

Whereas, his wife, his in-laws, Neale and Beverly Brown of
Colchester, and other family members mourn the loss of this exemplary human
being, now therefore be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives:

That the General Assembly extends its profound condolences to the family
of U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael A. Benson, and be it further

Resolved: That the secretary of state be directed to send a copy
of this resolution to Elizabeth Benson and to Neale and Beverly Brown in
Colchester.